Warehouse-truck.



No. 882,735. PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908.

R. s. BBRGSATHBR. WAREHOUSE TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1907.

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lLiBefgsaifier PATENTED MAR. 24:, 1908.

R. s; BERGSATHBR. WAREHOUSE TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR.6,1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

BeIySaZher RASMUS S. BERGSATHER, OF NORTHWOOD, IOWA.

WAREHOUSE-TRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 6, 1907.

Patented March 24, 1908. Serial No. 366,817.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAsMUs S. BERG- SATHER, citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at N orthwood, in the county of Worth and State ofIowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWarehouse-Trucks, of which the following is a specification.

Hand trucks such as are generally used for moving merchandise either inwarehouses and business places, or for transporting boxes, barrels,bales and like packages, are provided at the lower or front end with alifting foot piece which is forced be- Ileath the box or package to belifted and said package pressed to the truck when tilting the same froman approximately vertical position to a convenient position for movingthe goods.

The present invention provides a truck which may be placed against theside of the box, keg, bale or other package and grip the same fromopposite sides so that when lowerin the handle ends of the truck, thepackage will be lifted from the floor or surface so as to be transportedor moved to the required position.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means foreffecting the result, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings.

While the invention may be adapted to different forms and conditions bychanges in the structure and minor details without departing from thespirit or essential features thereof, still the preferred embodiment isshown in the accompanying drawparticularly for lifting in s, in which:

igure 1 is a perspective view of a warehouse truck, embodying theinvention. Fig. 2 is a side view thereof showing the same applied to abox or package preliminary to lifting the same, the dotted lines showingthe upper end of the truck lowered and the package lifted. Fig. 3 is aview of the truck inverted or as seen from the bottom side. Fig. 4 is adetail view of a gripper especially designed for sacks of grain. Fig. 5is a detail view of a form of gripper designed more bales either of hay,straw or wire.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samereference characters.

The truck comprises the usual longitudinal bars 1 terminating at theirrear ends in curved grips 2. Cross bars 3 connect the longitudinal barsand support the goods. The axle 4 is located at the forward ends of thelongitudinal bars and is provided with the usual truck wheels 5. A brace6 is interposed between the longitudinal bars 1 and prevents anyrelative movement of the longitudinal bars besides forming an additionalsupport for the ackages or goods.

Grips are journaled to the longitudinal bars 1 near their front ends andmay be of such formation and structure as best adapted to firmly gripthe package or goods to be moved, said grips having connection with anoperating lever 7 by forcibly moved to insure their firm gripping of theackage, bale or other goods to be lifted anc transported. Each gripcomprises a crank pin 8 and a crank arm 9, an engaging portion 10 and arock shaft 11, the latter being connected. by means of a lever 12 with arod or bar 13 having adjustable connection with the lever 7. The gripsare located a like distance from the front ends of the longitudinal bars1 and their shafts 11 are mounted in suitable bearings 14 whichpreferably means of which they are have adjustable connection with thelon'gitudinal bars to permit of the position of the grips being variedaccording to the nature and size of the packages to be handled. Thecrankarms or levers 12 may be of any length to secure a compound leverage inconnection with the operating lever 7 and may form a part of therespective shafts 11 or have adjustable connection therewith. Theengaging portions 10 as also the crank arms 9, may be variously formedand of integral or separate construction according to the adaptation ofthe truck for the particular work.

In the constructions shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the shafts, crank arms andengaging portions are of integral formation, whereas in the form shownmost clearly in Fig. 1, the crank arm 9 is integral with the shaft 8 andthe engaging portion 10 is pivotally mounted between its ends upon acrank pin projected outward from the crank arm, said pivoted engagingportion having spurs 15 at opposite ends to bite into a box, keg orother package to prevent possible slipping thereof when operating thetruck.

The operating lever 7 has a block 16 connected thereto by means of aswivel joint, and said block has an opening through which the rod or bar13 is slidable and adapted to be secured in the adjusted position bymeans of a set screw 17. The operating lever 7 extends transversely ofthe truck and is pivoted at one end to a longitudinal bar 1 and has itsopposite end projected beyond the other longitudinal bar 1 and formedwith a lip 18 to engage with one of a series of teeth 19 of a bar 20secured to the longitudinal bar 1 beyond which the free end of the lever7 projects outward.

When it is required to move a heavy box or package, the truck is placedagainst a side of the box in an approximately vertical position as shownin Fig. 2 after which the lever 7 is operated to cause the grips to takefirm hold of opposite sides of the box. Should the grips fail to firmlytake hold of the box at the first trial because of the distance betweenthem being too great, they may be properly adjusted by loosening the setscrew 17 and moving the rod or bar 13 in the block 16, said rod or barbeing secured by retightening the set screw. After the adjustment of thegrips to the box or package, the lever 7 is o erated to cause saidgrippers to take a firm hold of the box or package, the lip 18 of the'lever 7 being engaged with a tooth 19 of the bar 20 so as to hold thegrips in. firm engagement with. the box. The truck is now moved from thevertical position into the usual inclined position assumed whentrundling the box or package as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2.After the box or package has been moved to the required point, it isdischarged by turning the truck into an upright position, therebybringing the box squarely upon the floor or other surface, after whichthe lever 7 is released and moved to cause the grips to relax their holdupon the box or package, when the truck may be moved away to be againused as may be required. The several grips may be interchangeable aswell as adjustable so as to adapt the truck for various uses and kindsof goods to be moved.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination of a truck, upon opposite sides of the truck, a rockshaft journaled within each of the bearings, crank arms upon the twoends of each of the shafts, one pair of the crank arms being locatedabove the truck while the opposite pair are located below the truck,loosely mounted gripper members carried by the first mentioned pair l ofcrank arms, and means cooperating with the crank arms under the truck torotate the roc k shafts.

2. The combination of a truck comprising longitudinal bars having wheelsat one end thereof and handles at the opposite ends, bearings applied tothe sides of the longitudinal bars, a rock shaft journaled within eachof the bearings, crank arms at the two ends of each of the rock shafts,one set of the crank arms being located above the truck while theopposite set are located below the truck, an operating lever connectingthe longitudinal bars of the truck, the said lever being pivotallyconnected to one of the bars and adjustably engaging the opposite bar,and rods connecting the operating lever to the crank arms under thetruck for rotating the rock shafts to cause the crank arms above thetruck to engage a member to be carried upon the truck.

3. The combination of a truck, bearings upon 0 posite sides of thetruck, a rock shaft journa ed within each of the bearings, crank arms atthe two ends of each of the rock shafts, an operating lever mounted uponthe truck, the said lever being pivotally connected to one side of thetruck and adjust ably engaging the opposite side, a block carried by theoperating lever, and a rod adjustably connected to the block and servingas a connecting means between the lever and the crank arms at one end ofthe before mentioned rock shafts, the crank arms at the opposite end ofthe said rock shafts being provided with gripper members.

4. The combination of a truck, bearings upon opposite sides of thetruck, a rock shaft journaled within each of the bearings, crank arms atthe two ends of each of the rock shafts, one set of the crank arms beinglocated above the truck while the opposite set are located below thetruck, an operating lever mounted upon the truck, and connecting meansbetween the operating lever and the crank arms below the truck foractuating those crank arms above the truck.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature bearings in presence of twowitnesses.

RASMUS s. BERGSATHER. [L. s] Witnesses:

GILBERT O. GIRE, ROBERT HooE.

